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View Recipe Archive For: |
With the holiday season soon upon us, I wanted to share two of my recipes from Cocina de la Familia, Holiday Stuffed Turkey and Stuffed Sweet Potatoes. In contrast, I am also adding a simple recipe for a quick snack, Cheese Crisps, for your children to make when they return home from school.
I hope that you have a very safe and healthy holiday with your loved ones.
Make the stuffing first. Heat about 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook until the onion is just wilted. Stir in the ham, beef, pork, and mushrooms and cook until lightly browned. Add more oil only if needed.
Stir in the tomatoes, olives, prunes, and pine nuts. Add the red wine, parsley and oregano and continue to cook about 5 minutes, until well seasoned and the liquid has evaporated. If the mixture is still soupy, turn up the heat for a few minutes, them remove the pan from the heat and pour off any remaining oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside and let cook before stuffing the turkey. The mixture can be made in advance and refrigerated, but it should be brought to room temperature before using
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the neck and giblets from the bird and reserve for the sauce. Rinse the turkey inside and out and dry thoroughly. Rub the cavity with the cut side of a lemon and sprinkle lightly with the cinnamon.
Fill the neck and body cavity lightly with the cooled stuffing. Truss the turkey, closing the 2 openings and tying down the wings and legs. Massage the skin with butter or oil and sprinkle well with salt and pepper to taste. Place the turkey, breast side up, on an oiled rack set in a large, shallow roasting pan.
Roast the turkey for 2 ½ -3 hours, about 15-20 minutes per pound, depending on the oven. The most reliable guide as to when the turkey is done is a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh. The bird is ready to be taken from the oven when it reaches 165-170 degrees F. Baste frequently with the pan juices, and when the breast turns nice and brown, pour on the red wine mixed with 1 cup of warm water and the oregano. Continue to baste. If the turkey is becoming too brown, cover loosely with a large piece of aluminum foil. Do not overcook.
Transfer the turkey to a carving board or platter, tent with foil and a towel and allow to rest 15 minutes before carving.
While the turkey is roasting, place all the ingredients for the giblet sauce in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer. Skim the surface occasionally to remove any foam. Cover the pan and cook over low heat for 1 hour, adding more liquid if necessary. When the broth has been reduced to about 2 cups, strain, reserving the neck and giblets. (If you like, shred the meat from the neck and finely chop the giblets, and return to the broth.) The sauce can be prepared ahead and refrigerated for up to three days.
Remove any excess fat from the roasting pan. Pour in 1 cup of the broth and deglaze over low heat, scraping to loosen bits of the caramelized turkey drippings. Pour the brown liquid into a saucepan, add the rest of the broth and the turkey giblets, and reduce over low heat for several minutes. Taste and adjust for seasoning, and keep warm until ready to serve.
Remove the stuffing from the turkey and place in the center of a large hot platter. Carve the turkey and arrange around the stuffing. The giblet sauce can be poured over both, or set it on the side to be added individually.
NOTE: For smaller groups, a turkey breast can be used, putting the stuffing in the trough between the two sides and trussing it together with string. Reduce the cooking time according to the weight.
The sweet potato, indigenous to tropical America, has been a staple of the Mexican diet since there were people who were hungry. On one of my first trips to Mexico City, I still remember being startled one evening by an eerie, melancholy wail that dominated all other street noises. When I investigated, I found it was a camote vendor, pushing his small cart full of dark-skinned tubers steaming inside a metal drum. The mournful cry was the steam escaping, altering the neighborhood to the camotero’s nightly visit.
This comforting dish rounds out a festive meal featuring the Holiday Stuffed Turkey but it goes equally well with simple grilled meats.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Scrub the sweet potatoes well but do not peel them. Poke a few holes in the top with the tines of a fork to let the stream escape while they are baking. Bake the potatoes on a rack in the oven for about 40 minutes, or until they respond to pressure when pressed with towel-wrapped fingers.
When the sweet potatoes are cooked and slightly cooled, make a vertical cut through the top of the skin. Scoop out the flesh, leaving a shell. Place the flesh in a bowl and blend with the melted butter, brown sugar, egg, cognac, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Spoon the mixture back into the shells and place on a large cookie sheet.
To prepare the topping, melt the butter with the brown sugar and add the nuts or coconut and the allspice. Spoon the topping over the sweet potatoes. Return the potatoes to the oven and bake about 15 minutes, until glazed a deep golden brown.
The crisps are usually made with the very large, very thin Sonoran-style flour tortillas, but can be easily adapted to a smaller size. Make these hearty snacks for impromptu, informal gatherings, offering them plain or with a variety of toppings. It’s a quick snack for kids just home from school or who are on the run to their next activity.
Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Place the tortillas directly on the oven rack and bake about 3-4 minutes, until they start to puff up and become crispy. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the cheese, and return to the oven until the cheese melts, another 4-5 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a large plate or round tray.
Spoon the selected toppings on the melted cheese or place in separate bowls and have everyone create individual Mexican-style pizzas. Serve immediately, with everyone breaking off bite-size pieces. This may be easier if the tostada if first scored in pie-shaped triangles before the toppings are added.
all material copyright 2001-2008 by
Marilyn
Tausend.
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